If you are interested in this and feel able to contrbute any time towards this project, the team would be very grateful.
“Bath & West Community Energy Programme paid a £1,800 grant in January 2023 to Climate Friendly Bradford for a Trowle-Trowbridge Greenway feasibility study by CFBoA and Trowbridge ECO. Project leader Andrew Nicolson agreed to provide monthly progress reports, but there had been so little progress over the spring and summer that there was nothing to report, though a small group made an informal site visit and took some great photos.
Progress was slow for several reasons. Trowbridge ECO is a very small group and has been unable to field volunteers. Andrew was made 2023-24 Chair of Wiltshire Climate Alliance and has had campaign and personal commitments and complications. The hard-working Jes Wire and Vicky Stone have also had limited extra time to give.
The project is starting to move ahead faster now. Andrew and the small team have:
- Made contact with supportive councillors
- Met active travel staff from Wiltshire’s consultants Atkins Global
- Liaised with Sustrans regional network development team
- Started using a feasibility study template from Sustrans
- Identified a local expert drone pilot for a fly-through video
- Identified many of the owners of land parcels along the route
- Done much online research for the ecology desk study
- Had a site meeting and route walk with a Wessex Water operations manager
- Made contact with Wessex Water’s Head of Community Engagement
- Secured a revised project completion end date of 31st January 2024
The first and very positive tangible outcome is likely to be that Wessex Water will shortly take action on a much-needed improvement to conditions on the existing A363 shared-use path at Trowle, by erecting “Give way to walkers and cyclists” signs at the exit used by their heavy tankers.
This adds to the earlier achievement of having the proposed Greenway added to Wiltshire Council’s Trowbridge ‘LCWIP’ (Local Walking and Cycling Infrastructure Plan) as a possible new route. This was the crucial step that unlocked the funding.
The team would welcome volunteer work including graphic design and map-making for the eventual report. Another informal route walk is possible – please contact Jeremy Wire – especially if you like holding one end of a tape measure!”
Trowbridge Environmental Community 